


Where Do We Go From Here

by to-a-merrier-world (wayward_wolves)



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Malec, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:26:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6107904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wayward_wolves/pseuds/to-a-merrier-world
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>deleted "Of Men and Angels" scene</p><p>My take on why Magnus and Alec "didn't do much sleeping" that night, inspired by a post I saw on <a href="http://bilesandthesourwolf.tumblr.com/post/139882342034/what-if-alec-gets-drunk-at-magnuss-and-hes-a">tumblr</a> (Nothing porny, sorry)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where Do We Go From Here

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing Malec, so tell me what you think! I'm mostly working from show knowledge and wiki, since I only ever read City of Bones and that was years ago. I hope I did them justice!
> 
> Title from the song that played at the end of the episode, "Where Do We Go From Here" by Ruelle

“I feel like I should ask what’s in this,” Alec said, taking another sip of the strangely fruity, clear drink. He glanced back up at the warlock, feeling more unsure than he had only moments before. 

Magnus smiled before taking a sip of his own drink. “White rum,” he answered, smirking a bit, before adding, “With a bit of magic to…sweeten things up. I figured you might not like something too strong.”

Alec raised both eyebrows at that. “This _isn’t_ strong?”

That seemed to shock a genuine laugh out of Magnus. “No, not really,” he said. Taking in Alec’s slightly embarrassed expression, though, he quickly added with a charming smile, “Well, to me at least. Though, I’ve had a few hundred years to build up a tolerance.”

Magnus internally winced, quickly taking a gulp of his own drink before he could further stick his foot in his mouth. _Great,_  he thought. _Remind him of your huge age difference_ and _imply you’re an alcoholic._   _That’s certainly going to put him at ease…_

Alec, however, didn’t seem to notice. He smiled and laughed a bit, shaking his head before taking another tentative sip of his drink. 

Magnus was a bit stunned, always taken aback by the beauty of Alec’s smile. They seemed so rare, so…real, that they nearly took Magnus’ breath away.

 “So,” Magnus said, quickly trying to cover up how he’d been staring at the young Nephilim’s mouth. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Like…what?” Alec asked, looking like a cross between a deer in the headlights and a confused puppy.

“Well,” Magnus said, gesturing with the hand not holding his drink and walking around Alec towards his armchair. “All I really know about you is that you’re a Shadowhunter, you’re a great shot, and,” Magnus paused, looking over his shoulder at Alec with a smirk, “you look _fantastic_  in black.” He then turned and sat in a graceful sprawl on his red armchair.

Alec furrowed his brow and looked down at the faintly blue-steaming drink in his hand, a swirl of confusion, excitement, and anxiety in his chest. Magnus confused him, made him feel things he’d never felt before. He’d promised he’d stay for one drink, though, so he took a rather large gulp of the one in his hand for some liquid courage before responding.

“Ah, well, um. I like…sparring?” Alec flinched a bit, walking toward Magnus and sitting on the floor against the still bloody couch to give himself a moment to recover some semblance of calm.

Magnus gave a small smile and nod of encouragement. “Sparring?”

“Uh, yeah. Um, I…I help Hodge teach some of the Shadowhunters-in-training sometimes. Uh, I like…helping them make progress. Improve.”

Alec paused to take another gulp of his drink. He cleared his throat before continuing.

“Uh, I, um, also like…reading. Um, the Institute has this, uh, huge library,” he said, lips turning up at the corner just thinking about the gorgeous library. “It’s…filled with books from…from everywhere. Some of them are ancient, the only copies of their kind. Some of them are even handwritten! And, uh…yeah.”

Alec stopped himself from yammering on any further, embarrassed with how excited he was getting over _old books_. Izzy would be rolling her eyes at him for being so terrible at this, if she were here.

“What, uh. What about you?” Alec asked.

“Me? Well. What would you like to know?” Magnus asked, leaning back in his armchair.

“What’s your warlock mark?” Alec blurted out, immediately wishing the floor would just open up and swallow him whole. By the Angel, he was terrible at this…

“You haven’t seen it?” Magnus asked, seeming surprised rather than upset.

When Alec shook his head in the negative, Magnus closed his eyes briefly before opening them and revealing his cat eyes.

Alec’s mouth opened a bit in surprise. They were… _captivating_.

“They’re…beautiful,” he whispered, seemingly talking to himself.

“Thank you,” Magnus responded with a pleased smile.

“Uh,” Alec stuttered out, looking down at his now empty glass. He was taken a bit aback by that, not having realized he’d already finished the one drink he’d promised to stay for. Despite how terrible he was at…whatever it was they were doing, he…he didn’t want to leave. For once…for once, Alec was going to do what _he_  wanted, even if it was just for one night. And, really, that was all Alec was likely ever going to have, so why not take advantage of it? After all, for the first time since…well, a long time, Alec was enjoying himself. He..he felt like he didn’t have to _hide_  around Magnus, and that made him feel…something he’d analyze later.

Magnus had remained quite, and when Alec looked back up at him, he simply raised an eyebrow as though to ask, _Well? What will it be?_

Alec looked back down at the empty glass in his hands before glancing back up at Magnus through his eyelashes and asking, “Did you really sleep with Michelangelo?”

Magnus’ eyes widened, completely taken aback, before he gave a delighted bark of laughter. He stood, still chuckling to himself, and made his way towards his drink table, taking Alec’s glass from his hands as he went.

“No, actually. I wasn’t even born yet when he died,” he replied, putting the finishing touches on the drinks before walking back to Alec. He handed him his new drink, electing to sit on the floor next to Alec instead of in his armchair.

“I’m not _that_  old, you know,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. 

Alec snorted, sipping at his own drink to hide his smile. “So, you lied,” he said, teasing a bit.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say it was a _lie_ , more like an…embellishment,” Magnus said.

“Oh, an embellishment. That you slept with a…a man who was dead. Before you were born,” Alec teased, only hesitating a bit about talking about sleeping with men. _I don’t have to hide around Magnus_ , he reminded himself.

“Well…” Magnus murmured into his drink. “I _did_  live in Italy for a time. I’ve been to most of Europe, actually. And South America. _And_  Asia. Most places, really, though, nowhere is quite like New  York,” he said, gesturing with his drink.

Alec perked up a bit, curiosity piqued. “I’ve only even been to Idris, but I’ve never thought New York was all that special. What makes you like it so much?” he asked.

“Well, for starters, New York is the only place that has you,” Magnus replied, watching Alec over the top of his glass. Alec turned a lovely shade of pink, which Magnus took the opportunity to admire before continuing.

“It’s also partly because of the times. New York is very much a place of the present, which is…refreshing. I find I quite like the present. It suits me,” he said, gesturing down his body.

Alec followed Magnus’ hand, taking in all of the warlock sitting next to him, not even a foot away.

“Yeah…” he croaked out, turning away quickly and taking a drink to hide his embarrassment at…well, ‘checking out’ Magnus. He was starting to feel…looser, more relaxed, no doubt the result of the alcohol. It felt…nice. However, it made him say things that he honestly was _not_  drunk enough to not be embarrassed by. He took another drink, hoping that would help his nerves.

Magnus, however, smiled delightedly at the compliment, even preening a bit. He’d quickly learned to take what he could get from the young Nephilim, as far as compliments went.

“Where were you born?” Alec asked, trying to steer the conversation to safer waters.

“Ah,” Magnus said. He held his glass up, a distant, contemplative look overtaking his face. “I was born in what’s now known as Jakarta, Indonesia, but was then a part of the Dutch East Indies. My family lived on a farm, and my parents were…good people.”

He paused here, taking a rather large drink from his glass. When he began again, his voice was distant, colder. It was strange, even disconcerting, to hear Magnus sound like that.

“When I was ten, however, my mark appeared and my parents realized that I was a demon’s child. They feared me. Shortly after, my mother hung herself in our barn. My stepfather tried to drown me, but I…I burned him with my magic.”

Magnus seemed to have lost himself in his thoughts, so Alec reached out, laying his hand on Magnus’ arm. The warlock startled a bit, looking at the hand on his arm and then to the boy it was connected to.

“I’m sorry,” Alec said softly, even though he knew the statement was empty and couldn’t actually make up for anything. But…he wanted to comfort Magnus in some way, even though he was terrible at it, really. So he tried to convey his sympathy, his…sadness that Magnus had gone through something so horrific, with his eyes.

Magnus’ own eyes softened in response, and his mouth lost the tightness that had gathered around it as he spoke.

“It was a long time ago,” he said, gesturing with the arm that Alec wasn’t holding, seemingly brushing the whole subject aside.

Alec watched him a second longer, before taking his hand away, instead playing with the stem of his glass. 

Magnus watched the young Nephilim stew in his own thoughts for a moment before deciding that he definitely was _not_  about to let this night end on such an…unpleasant note.

“Well, on that note” Magnus said, letting out a breath as he stood, draining his glass as he went. He held his hand out toward Alec, silently asking for the Nephilim’s glass to refill. Alec, however, misunderstood, instead taking Magnus’ hand with his own. Surprised, but deciding just to go with it, the warlock helped lever the young Shadowhunter up off the floor.

“Wow,” Alec said, stumbling forward a bit, suddenly feeling the alcohol a whole lot more than when he’d been sitting down.

Magnus laughed, and led Alec to his drink table. Alec looked down, very conscious of how Magnus still held his hand, and how he…didn’t pull away.

“How about something different,” Magnus suggested, a mischievous smile overtaking his face. “I was thinking something…chocolate?”

He let go of Alec’s hand and began mixing drinks together, a spark going flying every so often. Alec clenched his hand at his side, trying to hold in the heat of Magnus’ hand.

“Ah,” Magnus exclaimed triumphantly, holding up identical drinks, both slightly…sparkly? Alec raised an eyebrow at that, but took the drink from Magnus’ hand, their fingers gently brushing.

“To us?” Alec asked, holding up his drink in a mirror of Magnus’ earlier toast.

Magnus smiled delightedly, clinking his glass against Alec’s and not breaking eye contact as he took a drink.

Alec gave a surprised hum of approval as he took a drink, this concoction sweeter and not as strong as the last two drinks. He could barely tell there was even any alcohol in it.

“Good?” Magnus asked, having to tilt his head back a bit to look at Alec. Alec…liked that. Magnus looked… _good_ , like that, and wow, okay, maybe Alec was drunker than he thought.

Alec nodded, not trusting his voice to not give away his previous thoughts.

Magnus smiled and made his way back to the couch. Instead of sitting on the floor again, however, Magnus waved his hand. Sparks flew, and when Alec looked, there was no more blood.

“Hey,” Alec said, a bit affronted. “I was going to clean that. You’ve used enough of your magic.”

Magnus turned to look at the Nephilim from his place on the now-clean couch. “While I find that _incredibly_  sweet, I also don’t want to have to clean that up in the morning. Or right now. And you’re not really in the shape to be doing that right now, either.”

“I’m not _that_  drunk,” Alec mumbled, taking the spot next to Magnus on the couch, their knees briefly touching.

“ _Yet_ ,” Magnus teased, making Alec snort.

“Oh, so you _are_  trying to get me drunk,” Alec shot back. “My mother always did warn me about the dastardly ways of warlocks,” he teased, mockingly shaking his head and trying not to giggle.

“Oh, really,” Magnus said, playing along.

“Oh, yeah. There was a whole chapter dedicated to it in our Shadowhunter training book. It had pictures and everything,” Alec responded as seriously as tipsy teenager could.

They looked at each other for a moment before Magnus dissolved into giggles, Alec following suit quickly after.

When he’d caught his breath, Magnus looked at Alec, now smiling and relaxed, with a touch of wonder. The Shadowhunter had almost completely changed before his very eyes, and all it had taken was making him _comfortable_. It made Magnus a bit sad, knowing how ashamed and alone Alec had felt for so many years. 

“So,” Magnus said, after Alec had calmed down. “What else is there to the _mysterious_  Alec?”

Alec snorted. “Mysterious? No. No, _you’re_  mysterious. I’m…predictable.”

“Not to me,” Magnus replied. “In fact, I find you very mysterious. Of course, I’ve always _loved_  a good puzzle.”

Alec made a face at that, nose scrunching and eyes squinting. It was probably the cutest expression Magnus had ever seen.

“Tell me about your sibling,” Magnus said, giving Alec an out to the scrutiny.

“Siblings,” Alec corrected. “You haven’t met Max. He’s my little brother,” Alec explained, a smile growing on his face. “He’s the youngest and _always_  getting into trouble. He’s eight, and adorable, though, so that certainly helps.”

Alec laughed then, seemingly remembering something, and leaned his head against the back of the couch.

“This one time,” he said, turning to look at Magnus and pulling his leg underneath him to better face the warlock. “He decided that he absolutely _had_  to be a chef when he grew up. He was 7 at the time, and tired of Izzy’s terrible cooking. She always cooked when she babysat him, which he thought was a special sort of torture. Which he…wouldn’t be wrong about. Izzy is a terrible cook,” Alec explained, not quite able to keep a serious face.

Magnus chuckled, and listened in increasing amusement as Alec explained how, somehow, the young Nephilim had gotten it into his head to use ruins to try and become a ‘better chef’ than his sister, and almost blew up the Institute’s kitchen in the process.

“The funniest part,” Alec said, pausing to snicker. “The funniest part, was that his lasagna actually _was_  better than Izzy’s.”

The two burst into a new fit of giggles, bodies unconsciously leaning towards each other. 

When he’d finally caught his breath again, Alec asked, still smiling, “What about you? You must have some interesting stories from all the places you’ve been.”

“Well,” Magnus said. “There _was_  this one time with Marie Antoinette…”

* * *

The two talked for hours, Magnus getting up only a few times to make them new drinks. Throughout their conversation, they slowly moved closer and closer to each until they were both facing each other with their legs pulled up, knees touching. The two could have talked for hours more, and never gotten bored of the other.

The third time Alec’s head drooped in drowsiness, however, Magnus knew it was time to turn in.

“Hey,” he said, softly touching Alec’s arm.

The young Nephilim looked up at him, a small, relaxed smile gracing his lovely face.

“Yeah?” he said.

Magnus returned the smile and said softly, “It’s late. You should get some rest. I have a second spare bedroom you can crash on.”

“Yeah? Ok,” Alec agreed, soft and drunk happy.

The two stood, Alec stumbling a bit as he reoriented himself with the floor. Magnus grabbed his elbows to steady him, the two laughing breathlessly. Alec looked down at Magnus, still smiling, and the warlock was suddenly overcome with the need to kiss the young Nephilim.

 _But no,_  he though. _Not like this. Not now._

So instead, the warlock smiled and gently pushed Alec towards his spare bedroom, the one _not_  occupied by a healing werewolf and fiery redhead. 

Magnus smiled as Alec carefully walked away, trying to ensure he didn’t run into any furniture on his way to the bedroom.

 _Oh_ , Magnus thought when Alec had softly closed the door behind him.  _I am in_ so  _deep._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Also, if anyone ever wants to chat or anything, check me out on [tumblr!](http://to-a-merrier-world.tumblr.com/)


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